Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford - Premier League
- Bukayo Saka set to start against Brentford despite minor injury concerns
- Gabriel Martinelli to be rested with next week's Champions League clash with Porto in mind
- Kai Havertz to continue as a striker over Gabriel Jesus
By Euan Burns
Arsenal will be looking to continue their excellent form on Saturday when they host struggling Brentford in the Premier League, with the title race getting incredibly tense.
The Gunners have been scoring relentlessly recently, beating Sheffield United 6-0 in their last league match. With Manchester City and Liverpool facing off on Sunday, Arsenal need to ensure they take care of their own business so they can gain ground on one or both of their title rivals.
There were some injury concerns against Sheff Utd as both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka went off injured, but the latter is expected to start and Martinelli will likely be saved for the Champions League tie against Porto.
Here's the Arsenal team Mikel Arteta may pick against Brentford.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford (4-3-3)
GK: Aaron Ramsdale - With David Raya ineligible to face what is still his parent club, Ramsdale will get a rare Premier League start and the chance to remind Arteta how good he can be.
RB: Ben White - Isn't known for his goalscoring prowess but White scored a great goal against Sheff Utd, which shows there is confidence flowing through every part of Arsenal's team right now.
CB: William Saliba - The Frenchman's reputation has grown and grown throughout this season and fans are starting to remember just how key his injury was to Arsenal's title challenge falling away last season.
CB: Gabriel Magalhaes - Debate seems to be rife on social media over who is the better defender between Saliba or Gabriel. We're unlikely to know the answer until one of them is playing for another club, but Arsenal fans won't want that to be any time soon.
LB: Jakub Kiwior - Oleksandr Zinchenko is very close to making his return but Kiwior is expected to continue deputising at left-back, a role he has improved in game-by-game.
CM: Martin Odegaard - His goal against Sheff Utd came after just five minutes and the fact Sky Sports' co-commentator said 'it had been coming' reveals everything about how strongly Arsenal started the game.
CM: Jorginho - Arteta is favouring Jorginho in this central role now, which gives Declan Rice a bit more license to roam. The Italian midfielder is looking much better than his former Chelsea self and has attracted interest from Barcelona.
CM: Declan Rice - Was back among the goals against Sheff Utd and seems to genuinely have every facet of midfield play in his locker. We mentioned the importance of Saliba's fitness, but the same can be said for Rice now.
RW: Bukayo Saka - There were some fears about his fitness but Saka is set to play again when Brentford roll into town. Arteta will hope his side can take a healthy advantage early on so he can take Saka off with the Porto match in mind.
ST: Kai Havertz - Gabriel Jesus is not thought to be fit enough to start just yet which means Havertz will lead the line. He scored against Sheff Utd and will expect to bag again here.
LW: Leandro Trossard - With Gabriel Martinelli set to be eased back from his slight injury against Sheff Utd, Trossard should get the chance to start on the wing and show why he should play there more often.
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